Islam exists in global history with its richly variegated cultural and social realities. When these specific cultural contexts are marginalized, Islam is reduced to an ahistorical religion without the ability to contribute to humanity. ISLAM, HUMANITY AND This limited understanding of Islam has been a contributing factor in many of the violent conflicts in the present day. THE INDONESIAN IDENTITY Reflecting on Islam in Indonesia, the world’s third largest democracy, supporting the largest Muslim population, Ahmad Syafii Maarif argues for an understanding that is both faithful to Islam’s essential teachings and open Reflections on History to constantly changing social and cultural contexts. Building on this, he then Ahmad Syafii Maarif addresses critical contemporary issues such as democracy, human rights, religious freedom, the status of women, and the future of Islam. Through Islam, Humanity and the Indonesian Identity this book the breadth and depth of the ideas of one of Indonesia’s foremost Muslim scholars are made accessible for English language readership. Ahmad Syafii Maarif is professor emeritus at Yogyakarta State University and founder of MAARIF Institute for Culture and Humanity. He was the chairman of Muhammadiyah from 1998 to 2005. Ahmad Syafii Maarif is one of the most percipient and profound Muslim thinkers of our age. His book should be read not only by those interested in the future of Indonesian Islam but by every Muslim who cares about Islam, and as importantly, by every person who cares for the future of humanity. – Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl, Omar and Azmeralda Alfi Professor of Law, UCLA School of Law. Are Islam and democracy compatible in a 21st century nation-state? This book’s unequivocal answer is yes. Its author, Ahmad Syafii Maarif, for decades Indonesia’s most distinguished Muslim thinker, develops here his most authoritative argument. – R. William Liddle, professor emeritus of political science, Ohio State University. Syafii Maarif’s principal message that authentic Islam is properly seen as Ahmad Syafii Maarif Ahmad Syafii peaceful, tolerant of diversity, and accepting of change will be of considerable interest to those, especially in the West, who have become all too accustomed to rather different sorts of views. Here is a man worth paying careful attention to, and it is heartening to see that this English edition of his major work will make that possible for a great many more readers around the world. – William H. Frederick, Ohio University Emeritus. Islam, Humanity, and Indonesian Identity leiden university centre for the study of islam and society (lucis) series ‘debates on islam and society’ Leiden University Press At present important debates about Islam and society take place both in the West and in the Muslim world itself. Academics have considerable expertise on many of the key issues in these debates, which they would like to make available to a larger audience. In its turn, current scholarly research on Islam and Muslim societies is to a certain extent influenced by debates in society. Leiden University has a long tradition in the study of Islam and Muslim societies, past and present, both from a philological and historical perspective and from a social science approach. Its scholars work in an international context, maintaining close ties with colleagues worldwide. The peer reviewed LUCIS series aims at disseminating knowledge on Islam and Muslim societies produced by scholars working at or invited by Leiden University as a contribution to contemporary debates in society. Editors: Léon Buskens Petra M. Sijpesteijn Editorial board: Maurits Berger Nico J.G. Kaptein Jan Michiel Otto Nikolaos van Dam Baudouin Dupret (Rabat) Marie-Claire Foblets (Leuven) Amalia Zomeño (Madrid) Other titles in this series: Erik-Jan Zürcher (editor), Studies on the Ottoman Jihad at the centenary of Snouck Hurgronje’s 'Holy War Made in Germany', 2016 Kees van Dijk, Nico J.G. Kaptein (editors), Islam, Politics and Change. The Indonesian Experience after the Fall of Suharto, 2016. David Crawford, Bart Deseyn, Nostalgia for the Present. Ethnography and Photography in a Moroccan Berber Village, 2014. Maurits S. Berger (editor), Applying Shariʿa in the West. Facts, Fears and the Future of Islamic Rules on Family Relations in the West, 2013. Jan Michiel Otto, Hannah Mason (editors), Delicate Debates on Islam. Policymakers and Academics Speaking with Each Other, 2011. Islam, Humanity, and Indonesian Identity Reflections on History Ahmad Syafii Maarif Translated by George A. Fowler Leiden University Press Cover design: Tarek Atrissi Design Cover illustration: Menara Kudus Mosque (Bagus suroto/Shutterstock id 672002719) Translation: George A. Fowler Editor: Meg Taylor Lay out: TAT Zetwerk isbn 978 90 8728 301 8 e-isbn 978 94 0060 308 0 (e-pdf) e-isbn 978 94 0060 309 7 (e-pub) nur 717 © Ahmad Syafii Maarif / Leiden University Press, 2018 All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the written permission of both the copyright owner and the publisher of the book. This book is distributed in North America by the University of Chicago Press (www.press.uchicago.edu). Dedicated to those who sacrificed themselves for social justice and humanity Contents Foreword by Jan Michiel Otto 9 An Introduction to Ahmad Syafii Maarif: The Man and This Book 11 Preface to the Second Edition 21 Preface 23 Introduction 25 Islam and Nusantara 43 Nusantara: Where Faiths and Cultures Interact 43 The Rise of Islam in Nusantara 54 The Influence of Colonialism, Islam, and the National Movement 68 The Birth of Indonesia as a Nation 77 World War ii, the Constitution, and the Proclamation of Independence 93 Ideological Clashes: The 1955 General Election and Islam versus Pancasila, 1956–1959 100 Islam and Democracy 109 Why Is Islam in Harmony with Democratic Concepts? 109 The Ebb and Flow of Democracy in Indonesia 117 Islam and the Challenges of Cultural and Religious and Cultural Diversity 120 The Status of Women in Islam 128 The Place of Tolerance in Islam 135 One Islam, One Thousand Expressions 137 The Global Dimension of Indonesian Islam 148 Indonesian Islam 159 The Quality of Education in Indonesia 159 8 islam, humanity, and indonesian identity The “Unity of Knowledge” Concept 162 The Muhammadiyah on Education 164 Humans Who Are Meaningful in the Perspective of the Quran 166 Toward the Formulation of a Philosophy of Muhammadiyah Education 169 Education in the Nahdlatul Ulama Environment 171 Conflicts in Form and Content 175 Islam and Indonesia’s Future 177 The Future of Religion 185 Islam: An Open Religion 185 Islam and Religious Sincerity 195 Symbolism: Salt and Lipstick 200 The Global Map: Between Hope and Alarm 205 Islam, Humanity, and Indonesian Identity 213 Afterword 225 Notes 227 Selected Bibliography 255 Index 265 About the Author 285 About the Translator 287 Foreword On the morning of February 11, 2018 at 6.30am, a young man wielding a sword assaulted several churchgoers near St. Lidwina Church in Sleman, Yogyakarta. He then burst into the church, attacked the pastor, who was leading the choir, and slashed statutes of Jesus and Mary. He had already wounded four people when a policeman, unsuccessful in his attempt to negotiate with him, fired a warning shot. When the young man did not respond, the policeman shot him in the leg. The news of what was feared to be another attack by an Islamic extremist went viral across the globe. What did not reach international media was the reaction of Ahmad Syafiʾi Maarif, one of Indonesia’s most prominent Muslim public intellec- tuals and author of this book. When “Buya” Maarif, as he is affectionately called, learned what had happened, he immediately went to the church and then visited the young man in hospital. There he spoke with him for some time, exchanging ideas about Islam. A few days later, Buya spoke in public about the incident, commenting that, “This young man is a victim of stupidity … he uses religious ideas and sentences to practice his ideology of death … I have spoken to him, to Suliyono … it seems he already regrets it …. he is one of many Indonesians who have fallen victim to this ideological trash that is imported from the Middle East, and which unfortunately many people buy …. even worse, it is already considered trash over there, but here it is valued …. And, ironically, politicians deliberately make use of it.” Soon afterwards, Bishop Robertus Rubiyatmoko visited Buya Maarif at his home to thank him, and said “Buya’s visit helped to calm us down. What emerged after the incident was instead a strong sense of brotherhood”.Maarif, happy to welcome the bishop to his home, said “I’m only a small cog that is striving to promote logic and healthy thinking in this country.” Unfortunately, attacks by organized groups of extremists, or by ‘lone wolves’ – as Suliyono turned out to be – have become common worldwide. Maarif argues in this book that Indonesian Islam is affected by international forces in a troubled world. Yet, to fulfil the promise its founding fathers believed in, Indonesia needs to reconnect to what he argues is the essential spirit of Islam, that is, its advocacy of justice, equality, welfare, freedom and moderation. As professor Herman Beck aptly puts it in his Introduction to this book, Maarif has for decades been one of Indonesia’s foremost Muslim 10 islam, humanity, and indonesian identity scholars. The breadth and depth of his ideas, however, are hardly known to the outside world since he has written almost exclusively in Indonesian. We should therefore be grateful to the translator, George Fowler, and those who made this publication possible.